I sincerely hope that newspapers in 1969 were this stylish and jazzy, although perhaps without the complex interpersonal drama. Atalanta, written and directed by Mira-Rose Kingsbury Lee ’24 and co-directed by Ellie Powell ’25, follows Sarina Lemonde (Grace Allen ’23), an editor at the fictional Atalanta Post in 1969 New York, as she grapples with her career, identity, and relationships. Packed with complex characters, and well-executed songs, the musical ran at the Loeb Experimental Theater from April 6th to 9th. It provided an entertaining, touching, and relatable story about finding one’s place in a confusing world.
Sarina lives in New York City, with her husband Charlie (Matt Given ’25). Charlie is fabulous, suave, and gay (but only openly to Sarina and the audience); we soon discover their marriage is a matter of convenience between two best friends. Sarina’s mother Miriam Lemonde (Onovughakpor Otitigbe-Dangerfield ’25) is a wealthy French actress and celebrity, who, in Act One, buys a majority share in the paper and makes her daughter the president. This promotion drives the plot of the show, whereafter Sarina’s relationship with her colleagues is soured, and she questions her ability and position in this male-dominated space.
The show opens with jazz, setting the tone for the rest of the show. Brightly colorful suits, against a beautiful, nostalgic, and equally colorful set design, transport us right into 1969. The opening lyrics ask, “Who’s who in the news?”—the somewhat unsettling, repetitive tune and the probing lyrics give rise to a sense of toxicity and anticipation which endure throughout the show, and foreshadow the secrets and gossip that will cause problems later on. The opening number takes a minute to pick up, slowly introducing the primary players in the Post—Sarina, the publisher William Harding (Vander Ritchie ’26), and his son Jack Harding (Louis Zekowski ’23)—but when it does, it is dynamic, and the seven actors become a resounding chorus in the intimate Loeb Ex.
The laughs kick off with “Jack’s Love Song,” Jack’s mid-office-party sexually-charged yearning ballad for Sarina’s husband. Zekowski establishes the complex character well, playing up a desire for Charlie that will eventually transform into an unhealthy desperation and torment. This number, along with Miriam Lemonde’s “French,” entertain well in what is an exposition-heavy part of the show.
An early delight is “Go-Getter,” an upbeat duet between Charlie and Sarina. Ostensibly beginning with an argument about Charlie’s potential travel to Paris to act under Mrs. Lemonde, the song shifts to a celebration of their symbiotic friendship. Given and Allen expertly curate a wonderful chemistry between the spouses, and showcase what is actually a rather happy, healthy marriage—albeit platonic.
Indeed, Charlie encourages Sarina to lean into the presidential role thrust upon her. Here, the show deepens: she lacks confidence in surpassing the men who surround her, but the wake-up call comes when another editor tells Sarina that no man in the office has the qualifications to run a paper. At the close of Act One, Sarina realizes she needs to own her role in “Someone,” a Lin Manuel-Miranda-esque rap-like finale.
While Act One was cheeky and fun, Act Two brings immense character development and unforeseen plot movement which elevates the show. Sarina is threatened when William Harding, the show’s primary antagonist, threatens to release photographs of Charlie and Sarina’s brother Daniel (Conall McGinn ’25) kissing—potentially ruining both Charlie and Daniel’s lives during an era of overt and systemic homophobia.
Vander Ritchie gave a chilling performance in “Company Values,” the song which turns the show on its head. The elder Harding concurrently represents patriarchy, corruption, and egotism, but is ultimately only partially absolved when he prioritizes his son’s safety over his ambition.
His son, Jack, continues to pine after Charlie (“Daniel (Reprise)”), and sends him obsessive letters, which Sarina considers using as blackmail to counter William. This makes Jack a sympathetic character, and when he opens up to his father in order to rescue Sarina and Charlie, he and his father redeem themselves. The complexity of these pseudo-antagonists never tips into cliché: William remains despicable, yet understandable, and he chooses family just as Sarina chooses hers.
Sarina’s character journey occupies the core of the show. In Act Two, Sarina emerges in a baby blue blazer and neat white slacks—looking fabulously professional, yet perhaps stiff and lacking in the down-to-earth vibe she curates early on. Allen embodies a stern, surly boss confidently directing the Post. The energy in the “1969” reprise is palpable, demonstrating a livelier newspaper, although we observe hints of Sarina as an Icarian figure. She realizes she cannot continue “Playing God,” and in finding a unique way to save the paper from Harding and protect her husband and brother, whilst not giving in to the blackmail, she truly lands as the smart, independent leader she was destined to be.
Sarina’s character also avoids cliché. She does not end with a romantic companion, or on top of the world. Instead, she adopts her former editor position, with a newfound confident spirit and flair—excellently reflected in her final costume, a brown leather jacket and flowery pants.
More could have been said about the balance of nepotism with Sarina’s portrayal of independent female power. However, some light is shed when the show highlights importance of family and loyalty, as well as the Hardings’ representation of an older systemic elitism which Sarina is dismantling. Furthermore, Sarina’s ultimate self-demotion absolves her of this criticism.
All in all, Atalanta provides an excellent couple hours of entertainment, and a touching story that sticks. It explores the enduring toxicity of the media but romanticizes the everyday and shows what a few indomitable people and some friendship and family can do. Hats off to the five-person team of composers, Mira-Rose Kingsbury Lee ’24 (once again), Keagan Yap ’25, Ben Dreier ’22, Wills Goldsmith ’26, and Henry Wu ’25 for the eclectic mix of catchy tunes that helped me fall in love with the Atalanta Post. Should the show find a future beyond Harvard, it could follow the likes of Newsies as another delightful newspaper musical.
Andrew Spielmann ’25 (andrewspielmann@college.harvard.edu) hopes to make the Independent as cool as the Atalanta Post.
